Mountains out of mole hills, it took me four days to decide
whether or not to go to the Pac-12 Championship football game
which pitted the University of Washington Huskies against the
Southern Division champs, the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
Decisions, decisions, decisions...

The
date was September 30th
2016. Seattle Washington, a warm Friday evening at UW’s Husky Stadium. The
UW Huskies would be facing the Stanford Cardinal in a few hours. This game
had been circled ever since the UW’s spring game. Now Stanford had been the
‘reigning bully of the Pac-12 North’ for what seemed to be far too long. On
this date, September 30th,
we would be seeing a changing of the guard.

Imagine if you will, a warm September Friday afternoon,
Seattle Washington. The University of Washington football team is on a roll.
You step inside a quiet little neighborhood bar…but not just any bar, and
not just any neighborhood. The ‘Pub Mountlake’ bar in the quaint Mountlake
neighborhood…

Dawgs "P" on Tree,
Pummel Cardinal
Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington, Friday, Sep
30, 2016.. The following grades the University of Washington's effort
position by position for its fifth game of the
2016 season, this against the Stanford Cardinal. UW (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) won the game
44-6.

Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington. The following grades the
University of Washington's effort position by position for its second game of the
2016 season, this against the
Idaho Vandals. UW (2-0) won the game 59-14.

Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington. The following grades the
University of Washington's effort, position by position, for its opening game of the
2016 season, this against the
Rutgers University Scarlet Knights. UW won the game 48-13.

THINK GATORADERich LindeYou didnt go to a bowl, Coach? Not making seven digits? Cant afford to buy that new Lamborghini? Your wife and kids wont talk to you? Feel like that slob out of American Beauty? Having a midlife crisis? Women arent giving you the double take anymore? Never been soaked with Gatorade?

Got me an early birthday present last Saturday
against the clueless Utah Utes, a revelation that’s been for the most part,
self effident for the better part of this century. I suppose it takes some
folks a little longer to ‘get it’, but oh boy, did I finally “get it”.

Some of you may remember, perhaps you were even in
attendance, as I was when Arizona pulled off the ‘flip by the lake’, or the
‘flop’ depending on your preference…Then last year, in Tucson Arizona, that
last minute fumble, and then a 47 yard field goal by Arizona to win the
game….

The oregun ‘refuse to win
game’.Now understand this, now let me make this
perfectly clear. I left Husky Stadium in a bigger funk than you. Understand
that…but you never let anybody know the funk you’re in...nobody, give no
satisfaction. Put it in storage….

Last time I wrote you fella’s, just about seven days
ago, I quoted Thomas Payne’s quote; “A week that tries men souls…” My
reverse psychology worked…The Dawgs upended SC, then coach Sark upended
himself...

Dawgs' D trumps Troy'sRich
Linde, 10 October 2015Here are my grades, position-by-position, for the game with the
Southern California Trojans. The Huskies won, 17-12.

Walking out of Husky Stadium after that Cal give-away
program, er game if you will, was one of the lowlights of my Husky
experiences. No it wasn’t as bad as Chuck Nelson’s missed field-goal which
cost us a Rose Bowl birth. Back then, after that game, why I couldn’t even
get out of bed till noon the next day, and then nearly had to call in sick
that coming Monday morning, no this Cal game was not that bad, but close…

Now much has changed in the past two weeks, I got
myself all thawed out and the Harley all cleaned up after that Boise State
trip, Boise State, it was a could-have-been, might-have-been weekend in
Boise…But it had to be done…

It’s been said that things happen for a reason, that destiny
can’t be fooled, that a sucker is born every minute. I could go
on and on, but how much self-abuse is needed? It’s been over
four days now, and counting...

Here are
my grades, position by position, for the BSU game, which the
Huskies lost, 16-13.

An Evening at the DeAtley'sLee Groinman, 2 September 2015A
few years ago I was invited to attend a reception for the then new President
of the University of Washington, Michael K. Young, at the DeAtley mansion
over in Yakima. I had never been to the DeAtley mansion before, nor had I
ever met a University of Washington President, yes, a couple of American
Presidents, but never a University of Washington one...and besides,
President Young rode a Harley. How cool is that?

Whatever
happened to the technological utopia that was to have been achieved through
the development of nuclear fusion and desalinization, this technology
symbolized by the Space Needle -- which was built in 1962 for the Seattle
World's Fair -- and championed by John F. Kennedy in 1963?

Soup Spoons, get-well letters, persiflageRich Linde, 2 April 2015In
December of last year we moved to San Jose, California (Merrill Gardens,
Willow Glen (Assisted Living)) to live closer to one of our daughters and
son-in-laws.

The 25th Annual event, Chow Down to Washington, was held on 19 March 2014 at the
Jim Houston Estate in Palm Springs, California. Over 300 alums attended the
event, which is part of Dawg Days in the Desert. (Full
Story).

This year's offensive line was
much more stable than last year's; of the 65 possible starts in 2013, UW's five regular offensive
linemen combined for 62 starts. All five linemen return next season. In this
regard, I have thrown the challenge flag out on the recruiting
field for Coach Chris Peterson.
(Full Story)

In
2002, I wrote an article, "A Plaque for Gil Dobie." It was inspired
by the notion that a part of our Husky nation -- those of us who
were aware of Dobie's accomplishments on the gridiron -- felt the
university should venerate Dobie's legacy at Washington with a
bronze plaque, one placed on the remaining portion of Denny Field
located on the Washington campus (Full Story).

Why
did University of Washington president Henry Suzzallo (1915-1926) fire a
football coach who was unbeaten in 62 games -- a coach who had a record
of 59-0-3 in the period from 1908 through 1916 -- that coach being the
legendary Gilmour Dobie? (Full Story).

Outplaying
the number-one seed Memphis, UCLA deserves its trip to the final four. Winning the Pac-10 title,
along with the
tournament at Staples Arena, were crucial to the Bruins’ success;
their last seven games were played in Los Angeles, San Diego and
Oakland, all of them close to home cooking. (Full
Story).

In
some cases, not knowing one’s ancestral tree is better left alone.
What good service to your psyche is rendered by finding out that a person
from your lineage was beheaded about the time that Ann Boleyn was
disloyal to her husband Henry VIII?
(Full Story).

I've
seen a lot of Husky basketball greats: Sammy White and his leaping,
underhanded lay-up shot; there was Joe Cipriano, who could go
coast-to-coast with anybody. How about Bob Houbregs (left) and his graceful hook shot?
Captain Hook led the Dawgs to the final four in 1953, their only appearance. (Full
Story).

From
time to time, Washington cheerleader Lindzy Bury (left) will send us photos of the
aerial stunts/acrobatics that our cheerleaders perform at Husky Stadium and on
the road. These stunts are amazing. Our cheerleaders at Washington are every
bit as dedicated to Husky sports as any of the members of our athletic teams.